Confederate flags send the wrong message

Published: Wednesday, October 30, 2013 at 08:00 AM.

Recently the Confederate flag was center stage at political protests in Washington, D.C. Some sincere, passionate soul waved it with pride, but what exactly did his fellow citizens understand him to be communicating in today’s world?

The Greeks, Romans, Hindus, Buddhists, Iranians, and of course the Nazis all, at various ages and stages in history, used the swastika to communicate different values. In each era and locale it had a different meaning.

What about here and now in America? Would anyone doubt that in most everyone’s mind it would recall Hitler and the Nazis and not some ancient Hindu religious rite? The question is not what meant long ago and far away, but what it means today in America. Few would doubt what I am saying.

The same is true of the Confederate flag. Across the nation it does not bring romantic understandings of the Old South culture. It does not bring to mind good manners and a lost chivalry. It is a raw symbol of racism in the minds of most Americans. The Confederate flag in modern America is about as welcome to the general population as the Nazi swastika.

Having been raised in the South, I know there are some people who see that symbol and in their mind racism does not arise. True as that might be, it’s time everyone admits that this is not a common understanding. To raise the Confederate flag and claim ignorance that it says “I am a racist and support white supremacy” is a sad affair. If someone honestly is ignorant of the fact that almost everyone sees it as a racist statement, that is sad. They mean to say one thing and are communicating something else.

It is like a small child who cannot get his message across but thinks he is doing so. Ignorance of how they are perceived is sad. If they really do know Confederate flag-waving supports racism, at least that is an honest exercise of free speech. But calling American citizens to rally around racism today is only done by the mentally sick. The response here is pity. Either way, the Confederate flag in today’s America has become a symbol of ignorance or racism and is on par with someone waving a flag with the Nazi swastika on it.

It is time for anyone who does not wish to be understood as supporting racism to put the Confederate flag away. I would say the same thing to anyone wishing to fly the Nazi swastika. These two flags communicate basically the same thing to most Americans.

Recently the Confederate flag was center stage at political protests in Washington, D.C. Some sincere, passionate soul waved it with pride, but what exactly did his fellow citizens understand him to be communicating in today’s world?

The Greeks, Romans, Hindus, Buddhists, Iranians, and of course the Nazis all, at various ages and stages in history, used the swastika to communicate different values. In each era and locale it had a different meaning.

What about here and now in America? Would anyone doubt that in most everyone’s mind it would recall Hitler and the Nazis and not some ancient Hindu religious rite? The question is not what meant long ago and far away, but what it means today in America. Few would doubt what I am saying.

The same is true of the Confederate flag. Across the nation it does not bring romantic understandings of the Old South culture. It does not bring to mind good manners and a lost chivalry. It is a raw symbol of racism in the minds of most Americans. The Confederate flag in modern America is about as welcome to the general population as the Nazi swastika.

Having been raised in the South, I know there are some people who see that symbol and in their mind racism does not arise. True as that might be, it’s time everyone admits that this is not a common understanding. To raise the Confederate flag and claim ignorance that it says “I am a racist and support white supremacy” is a sad affair. If someone honestly is ignorant of the fact that almost everyone sees it as a racist statement, that is sad. They mean to say one thing and are communicating something else.

It is like a small child who cannot get his message across but thinks he is doing so. Ignorance of how they are perceived is sad. If they really do know Confederate flag-waving supports racism, at least that is an honest exercise of free speech. But calling American citizens to rally around racism today is only done by the mentally sick. The response here is pity. Either way, the Confederate flag in today’s America has become a symbol of ignorance or racism and is on par with someone waving a flag with the Nazi swastika on it.

It is time for anyone who does not wish to be understood as supporting racism to put the Confederate flag away. I would say the same thing to anyone wishing to fly the Nazi swastika. These two flags communicate basically the same thing to most Americans.

We Americans have a flag, Old Glory, and these other flags, Confederate and Nazi, serve no good purpose in this nation. They might get someone’s attention waving those flags, but it will result in the causes they support only getting distain, pity and rebuke. It is a very dumb tactic. Might as well put an “I’m Stupid” sticker on your forehead when you wave it. Also, guns are really not for shooting yourself in the foot.

If a Confederate flag waver should think that he is honoring his heritage, he would do well to consider what he is doing to his descendants. Would a loving father or mother put swastikas on the foreheads of their children so they might look like the murderer Charles Manson? Would that association help or harm their descendant? Put down the Confederate flag. It will not help your children or any political cause you wish to be taken seriously in our nation.